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Cyber Pagans: In the Closet or Out
Many of us in the Pagan community
are now Internet connected. For me it has meant that I can keep
in touch with a greater number of people with less effort.
Communication is fast and direct, with no answering machines to
contend with, and no worries about what someone else's schedule is like.
Recently, I shared a very
inspirational story that was e-mailed to me. I sent it out to a
number of my friends, Pagan and Non-Pagan alike. At the head of
the message I put a little blurb and attached a smiley face. (in an
effort to be "politically correct" the blurb held an
apology to my Pagan friends because the story included a reference to
God - using "HE").
A few days later, I received a
very angry e-mail from a Pagan friend declaring that I had "outed"
them to others, by including their name on a long list of addresses
at the beginning of the e-mail! This friend proceeded to send
an e-mail to everyone on that list telling them that I had violated a
sacred trust by "outing" everyone on that list!!
What just happened here?
I "outed" no one
- they "outed" themself by declaring their outrage
at my perceived "mistake"!
The whole sordid episode got me to
thinking about today's climate in Paganism and where I perceive my
place in it.
I was initiated into an order that
has roots with Lady Sheba and took the vow of secrecy just like
everyone else. In the intervening years, my feelings
about that have been ambivalent to say the least.
Secrecy was something that was
quite necessary during the "burning times" and
perhaps 20 years ago. But today, we are a recognized religion
with rights and privileges just like any other. Granted,
there is some discrimination that still goes on, but we now
have legal counsel for that sort of thing!! (I can already HEAR
the arguments from this one!)
Also, over the last 20 years, MOST
of our rites and rituals have been published, for the general public
to read. Even Lady Sheba's Book of Shadows is now
back in print!
So what's so secret?
Many years ago, when I first
entered the Craft, my beloved sister, Jane, asked me to describe one
of our rituals so that she could be assured that it wasn't anything "weird".
I replied that I could not divulge our secrets to an "outsider".
She responded by saying "how will anyone ever KNOW
that you are harmless if you don't tell us what's up?"
She had a point.
If Paganism/Wicca is to become a
respected form of Religion, we HAVE to become more open about
what's up!
The days of the "secret society"
are over folks! (Beside the fact that this smacks of "elitism")
Too much secrecy breeds suspicion, which produces AND perpetuates discrimination.
What is needed now (and is rapidly
coming to pass) is an effort at presenting a united front to the rest
of the world that says "we are here and we are proud of it"!!
So, let's stop whispering in the
dark and stand proudly in the sunshine to proclaim ourselves PAGAN!!
Blessed Be!
Grace Morgan, HPS of Coven Trillium)
gracemm1@yahoo.com
(Comments, questions, arguments welcome!!) |
